ABSTRACT:
Purpose:
to identify the prevalence and the factors associated with olfaction disorders and describe the quality of life after total laryngectomy.
Methods:
a cross-sectional study to assess the olfactory acuity and the quality of life in total laryngectomized patients at the National Cancer Institute by applying the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Olfactory Acuity Pre-Rehabilitation of Olfaction Questionnaire.
Results:
we assessed 48 total laryngectomized patients, 39 male and 9 female, with a mean age of 62 years old and a mean time of 5-6 years since total laryngectomy. The mean score in the Smell Identification Test was 17.9. According to the smell classification, most patients presented a level of alteration, and only two had the olfaction considered within normal patterns. The composite score in the University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire was 80.47. The domains with the lowest score averages were taste, saliva and speech. In the Olfactory Acuity Pre-Rehabilitation of Olfaction questionnaire, most participants considered their olfaction from poor to fair. A number of 21 subjects reported to present some difficulty level in their daily activities due to the olfaction disorder.
Conclusion:
the total laryngectomized patients presented a high prevalence of olfaction disorder with impairments related to their daily activities.
KEYWORDS:
Laryngectomy; Quality of life; Olfaction; Olfaction Disorders
